Saturday, May 28, 2016

Toons You Might've Missed: Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950)

Well before real-life comedian-actor Michael Winslow made his fame,
Dr. Seuss introduced us to a talented little boy,
A 2 year old tot named Gerald McCloy,
Words he couldn't speak, but sounds he could make,
And so Gerald McBoing-Boing became his name.

Yes, Gerald was the original "human sound effect machine", long before "Police Academy" co-star Winslow, perhaps with Gerald as inspiration, made that his act. UPA, the folks who would eventually make Mr. Magoo a household name, adapted Seuss' tale, which won an Academy Award. However, this hasn't been seen on television all that much, despite the acclaim. Actor Marvin Miller, 5 years before The Millionaire, narrates and voices all of the adult male characters.

In case you might've missed it, Bill Scott, who co-wrote the adaptation, is the same one who later gained his fame as the voice of Bullwinkle. Several more shorts were produced with Gerald, but not all of them using the Seussian brand of dialogue, written in rhyme.